Brassiere



June 12, 1934. R K, L YTTON 1,962,314

BRAS S I ERE Original Filed July 3, 1931 Patented June 12, 1934 UNITEDSTATES BRASSIRE Rosemary K. Lytton, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 3, 1931, Serial No. 548,503 Renewed April 4, 1934 4Claims.

This invention relates to brassires and has special reference tobrassires for effecting the separation of the breasts of the wearer soas to give a natural appearance, and is particularly suitable for use bythose having abnormally large or fallen breasts.

The natural position of the breasts is to extend away from each othertowards the sides of the person so as to be separated from each other.However, with women of abnormally large breasts and particularly if themuscles or tissues of the breasts have become extended so that thebreasts are fallen, the natural form of the woman is no longermaintained. The usual type of brassire is to merely support or upliftthe breasts, and to hold them adjacent to the body, and which, when usedby a person whose breasts are large or have fallen, forces the breaststogether in an unnatural and unscientic position.

The present invention is designed to avoid the disadvantages of theprior type of brassire and to give a natural appearance to persons withabnormally large or fallen breasts. In brief, the present inventioncomprises an outer section which consists of the usual breast encircling-band having breast receiving pockets therein and a second band securedtransversely to the outer section along lines at a distance on each sideof the center of the outer section for snugly encircling the body andpassing under the breasts so that when the garment is worn the breastslie between the outer section and the inner band outwardly of the linesof connection between the outer section and the inner band. As the innerband is to snugly fit the body under the breasts, it consequently ismade shorter than the outer section which passes over the breasts. Theends of each band are secured together at the back of the wearer.

An object of this invention is to provide a brassire for maintaining thebreasts separated from each other and which is particularly suited forwomen with largeA or fallen breasts.

Another object of this invention is to provide a brassire in which thecenter portion of the outer section between the breast receivingportions will be held closely against the body of the wearer.

A still further object is to provide a brassire of the above mentionedtype having an outer section with breast receiving portions and an innerband for snugly encircling the body and lying under the breasts with theinner band connected to the outer section adjacent the middle of saidouter section.

Still another object is to provide a brassire for accomplishing theresults intended with a maximum of comfort and convenience to thewearer.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in whichlatter:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a brassire embodying the presentinvention as applied to the wearer;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the brassire;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view showing the inner band connected tothe outer section;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view showing the garment in substantially the shapeit takes when applied to the wearer; and

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the ends of the band, showing means forindependently adjusting the same.

Referring now to the drawing, the garment disclosed comprises an outersection l and an imier band 2. The outer section 1 comprises a centerportion 3 on each side of which are breast receiving portions 4 and 5for fitting over the breasts of the wearer. Tapering outwardly towardthe ends of the garment from the breast receiving portions 4 and 5 arethe ends of the garment 6 and 7 which are provided with suitablefastening means for securing them together. The outer section 1 may beformed integrally in one piece with tucks being taken in the breastreceiving portions to properly form the same, or the outer section maybe made in three pieces comprising the center portion 2, the breastreceiving portion 4 with the securing end 6, and the breast receivingportion 5 with the securing end 7. If made in three parts, the breastreceiving portions 4 and 5 are secured to the center portion 3 along thelines 8 and 9. Fabric or other pliable material is preferably employedalthough, if desired, an elastic material may be used.

The inner band 2 which is adapted to fit under or behind the breastssnugly iits the body as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. This inner band 2preferably comprises a center portion l() which is of substantially thesame size and shape as the center portion 3 of the outer section.Attached to the center portion 10 along the lines 11y and 12 are thebody encircling members 13 and 14 which gradually taper from the centersection 10 to the outer ends 15 and 16. The taper is largely providedalong the upper edges 17 and 18 which are formed in substantially astraight line, although a slight curvature as shown, particularly inFig. 3, may be given thereto. may be of substantially the same width attheir inner ends as the width of the center portion 10, or as shown inFig. 3, they may be slightly narrower at the inner end than the middlesection 10 so that the lower end of the The body encircling bands 13 and14 middle section 10 extends slightly below the inner edges of the bodyencircling members 13 and 14.

The inner band 2 may be formed integrally in one piece comprising thecenter portion 10 and the body encircling members 13 and 14, or it maybe formed with these three elements separate and being sewed together asshown in Fig. 3 along the lines 11 and 12, or, if desired, the centerportion 10 may be dispensed with and the body encircling members 13 and14 directly attached to the center portion 3 of the outer section on theinner side of the garment along the lines 8 and 9.

The outer section 1 and the inner band 2 are preferably sewed togetherwith the center portion 10 lying directly behind the center portion 3,the two being sewed along the four sides of the center portions. This ispreferably the only place the two members l and 2 are secured together.As the inner band 2 is to snugly encircle the body of the wearer andpasses under the breasts while the outer section 1 passes over thebreasts, the inner band 2 is made shorter than the outer section 1 asshown in Fig. 3. These two bands are preferably independently adjustableto the body of the wearer, as there is no correlation between thenecessary length of the outer section 1 which passes over the breastsand the inner band 2 which passes under the breasts and merely encirclesthe body. Howev once the relative length of the outer section 1 and theinner band 2 has been determined, the outer ends of these elements maybe secured together but even here it is essential in order that theseelements be independently adjustable, that there be no connection otherthan at the center portions and adjacent the outer ends, at leastoutwardly of the breast receiving portions. It is desirable to haveadjusting means in each member so they may be adjusted to the wearerindependently of each other. For this purpose strips of elastic 7o; and14a are inserted in the ends 7 and 14 of the band. Further adjustment isprovided by means of the adjusting members 7b and 14h which may be ofany desired type.

If the outer ends of the outer section 1 and inner band 2 are notsecured together, securing means such as snaps or hooks 19 and eyes 20.may be connected thereto so that the ends of the bands may be fastenedtogether. If, however, the outer ends of the two main elements arepermanently secured together which would preferably be done outwardly ofthe elastic strips 7a and 14d, it will only be necessary to have one setof hooks and one set of eyesl and both elements will be fastened byfastening the one set of hooks and eyes.

Shoulder straps 21 and 22 preferably of elastic material, are secured touppermost portions 23 and 24 of the breast receiving portions 4 and 5 atone end and are fastened at the other end to the outer section 2adjacent the outer ends thereof.

With this arrangement, when the garment is worn, the breasts lie betweenthe outer section 1 and the inner band 2 outwardly of the edges 8 and 9of the center portion 3 so that they extend away from and are maintainedseparated from each other in a natural position, the center portion 3being sufficiently wide for this purpose. Furthermore,- as the innerband` 2 snugly encircles the body of the wearer beneath the breasts, thecenter portion 3 will be maintained closely adjacent to the body, therebeing a pull exerted by the body encircling members 13 and 14 along theseams 11 and 12 from the top of the center portion 3 to the lower edgesof the body encircling members 13 and 14. Thus, the present garmentmaintains the breasts separated from each other and holds the centerportion tightly against the body to give a natural appearance to thewearer, even if the breasts are abnormally large or fallen.

While I have shown and described but one embodiment of the presentinvention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications thereof may be made and, therefore, I wish to be limitedonly by the scope of the prior art and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A brassire comprising an outer substantially continuousbody-encircling portion having breast-receiving pockets therein andinner members having their outer ends coincident with the cuter ends ofsaid outer portion and their inner ends atached to said outer portionadjacent the central part of the latter, the length of said innermembers from their points of attachment to their ends coincident withthe aforesaid outer ends of said outer portion being less than thelength of the parts of said outer portion lying between said points.

2. A brassire comprising an outer substantially continuousbody-encircling portion having breast-receiving pockets therein andinner members having their outer ends coincident with the outer ends ofsaid outer portion and their inner ends attached to said outer portiontransversely thereof along spaced lines adjacent the central part ofsaid outer portion with the lateral edges ci said portion and membersunconnected, the length of said inner members from their points ofattachment to their ends coincident with the aforesaid outer ends ofsaid outer portion being less than the length of the parts of said outerportion lying between the said points.

3. A brassire comprising an outer coveringportion and aninnerbreast-separating portion, said portions being aiixed to each otheradjacent their respective centers but being unconnected along theirlateral edges, said inner portion consisting of a flat band of a totallength always less than that of said outer portion and positioned withrespect to said outer portion so that said inner portion will liebetween the breasts of the wearer and the body beneath the same.

4. A brassire comprising an outer covering portion havingbreast-receiving pockets therein and an inner breast separating portion,said portions being affixed to each other adjacent their respectivecenters but being unconnected along their lateral edges adjacent thebreast-receiving pockets, said inner portion consisting oi a flat bandof a total length always less than that of said outer portion andpositioned with respect to said outer portion so that said inner portionwill lie between the breasts of the wearer and the body beneath thesame.

ROSEMARY K. LY'ITON.

